(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric box for a vehicle, which may minimize the space required for withdrawing wires from the box and may increase the waterproof characteristic of the box.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an electric box (e.g., a junction box or a fuse box) may be used to connect a power source to various electric devices that consume electricity in vehicles. Such electric devices may include lamps, electric components of a vehicle body, multi-media devices, and motor driving devices. Additionally, a plurality of fuses may be installed in the electric box to protect an overcurrent or overload from being delivered to external circuits. Furthermore, various types of relays may be installed to provide or cut off electric supply.
Thus, the electric box may serve as a supplier and a distributor of battery power, as well as a protection for wires inside a vehicle. The electric box may include many other functions such as receiving and protecting various types of elements (fuses, relays, etc.) mounted therein, and maintaining operational efficiency through heat radiation.
In many vehicles, the electric box may be installed in the engine room, but in many commercial vehicles such as large trucks or buses, the electric box may be installed at a certain location inside the vehicle with a structure in which individual wires or wire harnesses may be connected to the inner portion of the box. In addition, due to the characteristics of electrical components, a high level waterproof may be required. Specifically, waterproofing describes the ability of an object or component to substantially block the intake or absorption of water.
Furthermore, since the electric box may include a plurality of wires connected to the inside thereof and may be installed in a narrow space inside vehicles, the design of the electric box should consider the interior space of a vehicle for layout difficulties such as withdrawal direction of wires.
Moreover, in many vehicles, the junction box or the fuse box may be installed in the narrow engine room and may include wires connected directly to the terminal portion of the box. Additionally, the junction box or the fuse box may have an integral structure in which the box and the wiring are not separated. Accordingly, the junction box or the fuse box may have limited a waterproof characteristic.
The electric boxes equipped in commercial vehicles such as large trucks may also have limited a waterproof characteristic. Additionally, in order to implement a satisfactory waterproof structure, the withdrawal direction (or the direction the wire is connected to the box) of a wire may be the lateral direction of the box as shown in FIG. 1.
Furthermore, however, when viewed from the top of the box cover, a region of wiring withdrawal space must be designated on the side of the box. Accordingly, there may be limitations in installing the box in a narrow space and difficulties in securing substantial space within the box for withdrawing wires.
The information disclosed above is only for enhancement of understanding the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known to a person of ordinary skill in the art.